This invention relates to the field of food compositions and more particularly to an improved food bar, suitable as a meal substitute, and to a food composition having adhesive properties useful as a nutritional binder in said food bar.
In recent years there have been substantial efforts in the food art devoted to the development of meal substitutes, particularly breakfast substitutes, which may provide nutrition under circumstances in which time, location or other factors preclude the consumption of a conventional meal. To serve satisfactorily as a meal substitute, a food item should possess a number of essential characteristics which adapt it for convenient use under the limitations of time, space, and/or the absence of cooking facilities and cleaning facilities which render the consumption of a conventional meal impractical.
Thus, it is highly desirable that a meal substitute be a "finger food" which can be handled without utensils and without leaving significant amounts of messy residue on the hands or on surfaces upon which it is placed. It should be substantially nonperishable, even in the absence of refrigeration, and subject to inexpensive packaging in packaging materials which may be readily discarded. To provide for ready portability and rapid consumption, it should be light in weight and nonbulky; yet it must possess a high nutritional value and, in particular, a high protein content so as to provide sustenance equivalent to that of a conventional meal.
Generally, meal substitutes are prepared in "bar" form so that they may be packaged and handled in the manner of a candy bar, brownie or small cake. A manageable size for a product of this nature, from the standpoint of both package size and time required for consumption, is on the order of about 3 ounces. To provide adequate nutrition, on the other hand, the meal substitute should contain at least about 15 grams of protein. Because many proteins and protein sources per se have a rather disagreeable flavor, serious difficulty is presented in achieving both the requisite minimum protein content and an appealing flavor in a bar of the desired 3 ounce size. Certain of the high protein food bars which are commercially available have suffered, in fact, from the adverse effect of unmasked protein flavor. Other such products have a satisfactory taste but contain an insufficient proportion of protein.
Food bars suitable for use as meal substitutes are of interest and value primarily as breakfast substitutes. For this purpose, it is desirable that the bar have the flavor of a conventional breakfast-type food, e.g., French toast or orange Danish coffee cake, such flavors can be readily imparted to a basic nutritional food composition containing protein, fat and carbohydrate by addition of known artificial flavors thereto, provided that the taste of the basic nutritional composition is compatible with the flavors added. Many if not most protein flavors, however, whether properly considered as "off-flavors" or not, are incompatible with certain flavors which are most desirable for a breakfast bar. Prior to the present invention, a protein-rich food binder composition free of protein induced flavor has not been commercially available for use in a breakfast food bar.
An unfulfilled need has existed in the art, therefore, for a compact, high protein food bar having a pleasing flavor substantially free from unmasked protein flavor notes.